1800
This year, the government moved from Philadelphia to Washington, DC. Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr tie for the Presidency, with 73 votes each in the electoral college. Congress chooses Jefferson as President early in 1801. The second national census shows the national population at 5.3 million people, including more than 800,000 slaves. India's population is estimated at 130 million. Spain ceded the Louisiana Territory to France and Napoleon conquers Italy. Beethoven wrote Symphony #1 in C Major, Volta invented the electric battery, William Young of Philadelphia becomes the first shoemaker in America to make different shoes for the right and left feet, 4 tine forks become commonly used, replacing 2 and 3 tined forks. A postal service for letters is introduced in Berlin and John Chapman begins his journey west, passing out religious material and apple seeds.
The Mint reported 2,822,175 cents struck and delivered this year the first cents struck being dated 1798 and 1799. Perhaps half of this number were actually dated 1800. Cents from this date tend to be softer and more prone to corrosion that cents of other dates. The two types of Liberty head were used this year, with "Head of 1797" cents all being over dates. A number of "Head of 1798" cents from this date also are over dates. Half cents dated 1800 were first struck in September, using the Draped Bust Liberty head for the first time. A total of 190,552 half cents were struck through December. Only one set of dies was used to strike these coins.
Twenty-nine different varieties are known for 1800 large cents (S-190 through S-212 and NC-1 through NC-4)). There is only one half cent variety for the year, C-1. The best coins in the National Numismatic Collection are C-1 (3) and S-197 (1).
Half Cents
Large cents